Another maker worth mentioning is Barr & Stroud. Now originally this was an historic Glasgow based maker, famed for its military optics since WW1 however the company was bought over years ago by Thales and I *think* the B&S name was sold off to another company based in England. So if you see modern Barr & Strouds they are not the original company however I have a pair of the Barr & Stroud Sahara 10 x 42's (about £70) and I think they are excellent value for the money. They are waterproof and fogproof, have rubber armour and perform very well optically, smooth to focus and produce a nice bright, sharp image. I was so impressed by them I bought a pair of their 8 x 32's for the missus, as they are a little more compact and fit her hand better - the performance is also very good, even in lower light levels on dull days. They outshine some of the more expensive makes.
Binocular recommendations please
- Thread starter Goodison555
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I'm interested to see what these r like ... please tell how good or bad they are ..
I tried the Barr and Strouds at the Galloway Country Fair and was most impressed too.
I will be very interested to know what you think as well. I already have a pair and reckon they are great for the money but im no bino expert so it will be good to hear what someone who has more knowledge than me thinks.
ATB, Jon.
ATB, Jon.
I bought the 7dayshop 10x42 Waterproof Binoculars and said I would get back with a review so here goes (please note that my opinion on binoculars is not a particularly informed one and I am only giving my own initial impressions having given them a short test today in good light on the beach): the quality of the optics are at least decent if not good - the image is very clear and stays crisp and well defined towards the edge. The image is also bright and focussing on objects is particularly easy with a smooth roll to the focussing dial. At just over £20 I don't really see how these binoculars can beaten in terms of value for money - excellent in this respect. A more discerning bird watcher might find that these don't perform as well in lower light levels - i havn't tested them under these conditions and wouldn't know how to judge this. I'm sure that if you were willing to spend a lot more money you would have a better pair of binoculars but for me personally it would not be worth it. I am extremely pleased with my choice and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone. The only small criticism I have of them is their weight (they're not the sort of bins you could just carry around on the off chance of needing them). A strap and lens covers are included.
I bought these: http://firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=revelation_15x70&cat=150 from First Light Optics. Primarily, I want them for astronomical use; The 15 x mag and 70 mm objectives make them a superb pair of bins for looking at stars, but of course the large objectives will gather lots of light so they would be great for dawn/dusk animal watching. Not the smallest pair of binos, I grant you, (they are HUGE comedy size bins) but great quality for the price.
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greensurfingbear
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Image-Stabilising-Weather-Binoculars/dp/B00007EE7B
cheaper to just walk closer i think!
cheaper to just walk closer i think!
Realise that this is a little way down the line, but just got a pair of Luger DN 8x56 and very pleased with them. Must admit, got a cheap end of line ebay deal, but good magnification, wide range of focus, and good low light performance.
Optics is a strange world and what you get for your money is on a sliding scale. It is possible to get a reasonable quality pair for £65 and as you pay more, naturally the quality improves. The catch is when you get to the top end of the market you have to pay proportionately more and more for smaller and smaller increments in optical quality. For example I own a pair of Nikon HGL 8x42 for birding and they are absolutely superb at around a grand (yes you did read that right, tax rebate funded them) but the new Nikon EDG model I had look at recently is only a tad better at around £1400.
My personal favourites are Leica Ultravid 8x20 compacts and I carry them in preference to my Nikons if I have to walk anywhere. The are compact and light, with optical quality as good as a really expensive pair 8x42 size. They are also fully waterproof (which is a real bonus) and guaranteed for ten years. Not cheap for a compact at around £450 (Lakeside Optics: www.lakesideoptics.co.uk) but I've yet to find anything better in compact size and I am really fussy about binoculars.
The best value for money at reasonable prices are in my opinion the Opticron Oregon LE WP (available from Lakeside Optics http://www.lakesideoptics.co.uk/ or In Focus http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/) at just under £100. My daughter has a pair and for the price they are very good. Going up value-wise the slightly dearer Opticron 8x42 size in various specs are around £150 but are really quite good as well, and unless you are looking to go serious birding about as good as you might expect to want in everyday use. My final comment on optics is they are very much a matter of personal choice, one person will like one type and someone else another, it is a good idea to try under "real" circumstances if you can. Both the compnies I have given web addresses for are guys I deal with regularly who have impeccable reputations and they encourage and help you to take time to try the items out thoroughly and hence ensure you buy what is right for you (and I promise you won't get a hardsell attempt to make you spend more than you want either, you will get asked what you want to spend and will be given a range of models to try in that price bracket).
The Nikon Travelites are good for the money (and very durtable) so you should be pleased with them.
Incidentally I have a pair of small Praktica 9x21 compacts that are okay if anyone is interested and fancies making me an offer (please pm me) that I used for some years before buying the Leicas, they really made me fall in love with the idea of having a pair of compacts tucked away in a pocket.
My personal favourites are Leica Ultravid 8x20 compacts and I carry them in preference to my Nikons if I have to walk anywhere. The are compact and light, with optical quality as good as a really expensive pair 8x42 size. They are also fully waterproof (which is a real bonus) and guaranteed for ten years. Not cheap for a compact at around £450 (Lakeside Optics: www.lakesideoptics.co.uk) but I've yet to find anything better in compact size and I am really fussy about binoculars.
The best value for money at reasonable prices are in my opinion the Opticron Oregon LE WP (available from Lakeside Optics http://www.lakesideoptics.co.uk/ or In Focus http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/) at just under £100. My daughter has a pair and for the price they are very good. Going up value-wise the slightly dearer Opticron 8x42 size in various specs are around £150 but are really quite good as well, and unless you are looking to go serious birding about as good as you might expect to want in everyday use. My final comment on optics is they are very much a matter of personal choice, one person will like one type and someone else another, it is a good idea to try under "real" circumstances if you can. Both the compnies I have given web addresses for are guys I deal with regularly who have impeccable reputations and they encourage and help you to take time to try the items out thoroughly and hence ensure you buy what is right for you (and I promise you won't get a hardsell attempt to make you spend more than you want either, you will get asked what you want to spend and will be given a range of models to try in that price bracket).
The Nikon Travelites are good for the money (and very durtable) so you should be pleased with them.
Incidentally I have a pair of small Praktica 9x21 compacts that are okay if anyone is interested and fancies making me an offer (please pm me) that I used for some years before buying the Leicas, they really made me fall in love with the idea of having a pair of compacts tucked away in a pocket.
A nice pair of Russian Tinto bins on my friends auction site here http://www.letusauctionit.co.uk/html/
i use nikon action 8x40 which where in jessops sale £65,they are so bright and clear compared even to my expensive nikon camera lenses.
My new binos, Carl Zeiss Jena factory (now Docter), EDF 7x40, amazing aperture, made for military purpose. Rugged, withstanding dust, tropical humidity, arctic freeze... and expensive:-/
